Post-driver.



PATENTED JUNE'ZE, 1907.

G. BANDIMBRB. POST DRIVER. APPLmfxTIoN FILED MAn.4.19o7.

@wi/knew@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

p CHARLES BANDIMERE, OF CARVER, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED E.

BANDIMERE, OF GROTON, SOUTH DAKOTA;

POST-DRIVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .rune 25, 1907.

Application iiled March 4,190.7. Serial No. 360,461.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES- BANDIMERE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Carver, in the county of Carver and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Drivers; and I dodeclare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description oig theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to post drivers, and has for its object toprovide a device of this kind which will be simple and efficient and canbe made so light as to be easily moved about by hand, or when it is tobe transported a greater distance, it can be easily adjusted so as to beconnected with a wagon and yet will be moved upon its own wheels.

It is a well known fact that a fence post or other kind which is driveninto the ground Will remain standing many years longer than a post whichVis inserted into a hole dug in the ground in the usual manner. It isalso well known that where osts are driven by means of the ordinary sedgehammer, they are almost invariably split'orsplintered, and therebydamaged to a very marked degree, if not entirely ruined.

By using my invention, the post is not damaged in the manner abovereferred to, and it can be driven in less time, as five strokes from aweight weighing one hundred and fifty pounds when raised to the top ofmy improved driver and then dropped upon thepost, will sink the, postthe required distance of two feet into the hardest kind of round,whereas it would require at least Forty strokes by hand with a sixteenpound hammer to accomplish the same result.

l Where the ground. is not so hard, it is evident that fewer blows willaccomplish `the desired result. I

My improved post driver is especially desirable in making nett'v fenceswhere the machine can be moved forwardand the posts driven along theline upon which the fence is to be built, after which, the wires may bestretched in any `desired manner. Where the machine is to be used forrepairing old fences, the Wires can be loosened from a few posts uponeach side where the new post is to be driven and then forced back out ofthe way of the machine, when it is moved up into position fordrlving thenew post.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in

corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, -Figure 1is a perspective view of a post driver embodying my invention; Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the catch and weight, partly in `tection; Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view through the catch and the guides forsupportin the weight.

Referring more particular y to the draw# ings, 1 and 2 indicate thehandles of the post driver, bylmeans of which the machine may be movedfrom place to place, and upon which are mounted the operative ortions ofthe machine. The rear ends of t e handles are preferably provided withor formed into hand holds 3, and the forward end of each handle isprovided with a laterally extending stub axle 4, upon which are mountedthe supporting wheels 5.

Intermediate the ends of the handles cross pieces 6 are secured at asuitable distance apart, and two inclined upri hts 7 are secured to thehandles at the ends o the cross pieces, and are joined together at theirupper ends `and iprovided with suitablebearings for the winding drum orreel 8. One'end of the drum is provided with a pinion 9 with which agear wheel 10 meshes, the wheel 10 being mounted in a bracket 11 uponone of the uprights 7 and provided with a crank or handle 12.

Secured to each handle at ashort distance from its forward end is aguide or upright 13 which extends to the height from which it is`desired to drop the weight 14, preferably aboutfourteen feet. The guidesare secured together at their upper ends by a cross piece 15j`whichshall hold them directly parallel or at l"the same distance apartthroughout their entire length. Cross braces 16 are preferably securedto the guides near the top, and a substantially circular or ellipticalbrace ring 17 is secured to the guides. at a distancefrom tllie top,preferably'slightly above their 'mid d es.

Tworbrace rods 18 and 19 are secured aty tion.

'which the same reference numerals indicate n loo ITO

The inner faces of the guides are formed or provided with ribs orprojections 22 upon which the Weight 14 is adapted to be moved, theweight being preferably elliptical in cross section and provided withgrooves or notches 23 at its edges.V A catch frameis also mov'- ablymounted upon the ribs 22 and consists of a block or cross piece 24 upo'nthe ends of which are rigidly secured guide pieces 25, said guides beingpreferably formed from metal and semi-cylindrical incross section.Rising from the center of the cross piece 24 is a .standard 26, to theupper end of which the hoisting rope or cable 27 is permanently secured,the intermediate portion of the cable passing over a pulley 28 at theupper end of the guides 13, and having its other end adapted to be woundupon the drum or roller 8.

Pivotally mounted upon theblock 24 upon opposite sides of the standard26, are two hooks or catches l29 which have their lower ends providedwith hooks 30 that are adapted to engage with a bail 31V upon the upperend of the weight .14' and having their upper ends curved toward eachother and adapted to engage with stops 32 at the upper ends of theguides 13 for automatically releasing the weight when it reaches the topof the guides. The upper ends ofthe arms or catches 29 are normally heldaway from each other, as by means of springs 33, whichy are connected tothe arms above the pivotal points at one end and to the grooved guidestrips 25 at the other.

In operating a post driver as above described, itis moved to the desiredposition by means of the handles and stationed there by means ofadjustable legs 34 at the forward end of each handle. These legs arepivotally mounted to the handles in any ,desired manner, soas to be openor extended away from each other at the bottoms and thereby brace themachine against movement in either direction. When the machine is beingused upon uneven ground the legs can be opened to a greater or lessextent, so as to cause the handles to occupy a substantially horizontalAs the full length of the yhandles is about eight feet, a very slightmovement of position.

the legs will be sufficient to accomplish-*this result, and as the widthof the frame is over two feet and the distance between the supportingwheels is still greater, the machine will be given. sufficient bracingin all directions to prevent its overturning, and especially in view ofthe fact that the guides 13 or the center of gravity of the driver, willcome between the wheels and thesupports at the rear ends of the handles.Where the 'machine is to be transported for any considerable distance,the guides are preferably lowered into ahorizontal position and fastenedto a vehicle, as a wagon, which will cause the handles to standvertically. This avoids the liability there would be for the machine totip over if the tall guides remained upright. After the machine has beenproperly positioned and the post 35 placed directly between the guides13, the weight 14 is hoisted by turning the crank 12 until the arms 29are brought .into engagement with the stops 32 and thereby forced inwardso as to release the hooks 30 from the bail 31, when the weight willdescend and drive the post into the ground. This operation is repeateduntil the post has been sunk to the desired extent,

preferably about two feet. The machine is then removed to anotherposition and the same operation again repeated.

Having described my invention 1. In a post driver, two handles, theforward end of each of which is provided with a stub axle and the rearend with oppositely extending pivot-ed legs, a'wheel on each axle, crosspieces rigidly secured to the handles intermediate their ends forrigidly spacing them apart, inclined uprights secured to the handles atthe ends of said cross pieces, one of which is provided with abraclet, aroller mounted in the ends of said uprights, one end of which isprovided with a pinion, a gear wheel mounted in said bracket andprovided with means for rotating it, upright guides secured to saidhandles at a distance from their forward ends, a pulley at the upperends of said guides, a weight between the guides, and

a cable connected with said roller at one end and adapted to bedetachably connected with the weight at the other and having itsintermediate portion passed over said pulley.

2. In a post driver, two handles rigidly secured ata distance from eachother, supporting wheels securedto the forward ends of said handles andadjustable legs to the rear end, a roller mounted upon the intermediateportions of said handles, an upright guide secured to each handle at adistance from its forward end, a cross piece and braces at the upperends of said guide, a ring secured to the guides near their middles, twobrace rods cxtending from said ring to the rear and connected at theirlower ends withsaid handles, and two brace rods secured to the forwardends of the handles at their lower ends, and to the upper portions ofthe guides at their other-ends, a pulley and stops at the upper ends ofthe guides, a weight between the guides, and a cable over said pulleyhaving one .end connected with said roller and its VYCHARLES BANDIMERE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. ABRAHAMSON, ANDREW G. GooDMANsoN.

IIO

